President Barack Obama cracks down on marijuana as federal agents raided Oaksterdam University, Richard Lee’s downtown Oakland, California-based trade school, earlier this month.

President Barack Obama Cracks Down on Marijuana – The Crackdown Continues

According to the Huffington Post, President Barack Obama cracks down on marijuana as displayed by the highest-profile crackdown on a local pot business. DEA and IRS agents hauled away computers, files and pot plants and did not disclose the reason for the raid. No charges against Lee have been made as of yet. In an exclusive interview with The Huffington Post,  Lee blasted the federal crackdown as a senseless act of intimidation, stating that,

“”This is one battle of a big war and there’s thousands of battles going on all over.”

Lee went on to comment on the current administrations change of policies as President Barack Obama cracks down on marijuana, saying,

“Before he was elected, he promised to support medical marijuana and not waste federal resources on this,” Lee said. “About a year and a half ago, the policy seemed to change. They’ve been attacking many states, threatening governors of states to prevent them from signing legislation to allow medical marijuana. They’ve been attacking on many fronts.”

President Barack Obama Cracks Down on Marijuana – Authorities Involved

Although Medical marijuana is currently legal in California and 15 other states, On October 15, 2010,  Attorney General Eric Holder announced that federal authorities would prosecute individuals for marijuana possession, even in states that have legalized it. Since that announcement, the Obama administration has unleashed a crackdown on pot, with more than 100 raids, mainly on California pot dispensaries, even those operating in full compliance with state laws. According to data compiled by Americans for Safe Accesst, the Justice Department has conducted more than 170 raids in 9 medical marijuana states, resulting in at least 61 federal indictments since October 2009.

President Barack Obama Cracks Down on Marijuana – IRS Involvement

As President Barack Obama cracks down on marijuana, the IRS has joined forces with authorities, invoking an arcane tax code provision that was originally intended to prevent druglords. That law known as IRS Code Section 280E, is a measure that aims at preventing criminals from deducting the costs of their illicit activities from their taxable income. The IRS now applies this law to legalized pot dispensaries.The IRS applied  the rule in late 2011 to pursue Oakland’s Harborside Health Center and demanded $2.4 million in taxes, $2 million more than the paid for the year.

As President Barack Obama cracks down on marijuana, Lee comments on the presidents disconnect between his campaign promises and his actual policies,

“They can’t have their cake and eat it, too. They can’t keep it illegal and tax it. No more taxation without legalization.”

President Barack Obama Cracks Down on Marijuana.